Saudi Arabia- Syrian cries for help to get rid of sponsor

(MENAFN - Arab News) The mental torture caused by a sponsor has resulted in the break up of a Syrian expatriate's family life and put him in deep trouble.

Hussam Nawaf, the expatriate, seeks assistance from philanthropists to provide him with SR20,000, the cost of regularizing his residence permit and thus escape from the clutches of his tormentor and save his family life. If Nawaf fails to find the money in two months he could be deported, he said.

The Syrian expatriate's agony is further deepened after his Saudi wife filed for divorce from him because he was not paying for her and their son's upkeep.

"How can I pay her as my employer does not pay me anything?" he asked.

All his troubles started when he started working with his present sponsor four years ago.

"When I started working with him, he asked me to buy a car for him in installments but in the name of his (sponsor's) wife. I must pay the monthly installment of SR805, which he will deduct from my salary for five years. After that period its ownership will be transferred to me."

Nawaf continued: "The work on the project I was working for the Saudi ended last year after four years. In the meantime I married a Saudi woman and had a child."

About that time the validity of Nawaf's resident permit also came to an end. Nawaf requested to transfer his sponsorship to his wife while renewing his iqama.

"But the sponsor refused my request. I complained to the Labor Office against the sponsor. After refusing to appear before the Primary Dispute Settlement Commission in Makkah several times, the sponsor finally responded to the commission's summons and stated that he never employed me.

"Although we had not made any written contract at the time of my employment, I had an introduction letter signed by him saying that I was his employee with a monthly salary of SR 3,000. the commission took this letter as a proof and ordered him to transfer my iqama with a condition that I should do it in two months or I will be deported."

However, the sponsor insisted that he would consent to the transfer of sponsorship only on condition that the worker waives his claim for salary arrears and the end of service benefits, he said.

Now his problem is that he does not have money, he said. The total cost of his sponsorship transfer, renewal of iqama and passport added up to SR20,000, he said.

"My woes are further deepened with my wife's present stance. She has filed a divorce petition against me. I don't blame her because I have not paid her anything for quite some time.

"Also I have not been very nice to her because of my disturbed frame of mind. She is further alienated from me because I could not care for our mentally disabled son. All our problems are basically because my sponsor did not pay me my salaries over the past four years. He owes me SR124,000 in arrears at the rate of SR3,000 a month for four years after deducting the monthly installment for the car."

The sponsor took away the Syrian's car because it was registered in the name of the sponsor's wife, he said.

By Badea Abu Al-Naja

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial Times (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093291558&src=NLEN.